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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

XVIII. A Lay Follower — AN 5.176: Rapture

1Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, escorted by around five hundred lay followers, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

2“Householders, you have supplied the mendicant Saṅgha with robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. But you should not be content with just this much. So you should train like this: ‘How can we, from time to time, enter and dwell in the rapture of seclusion?’ That’s how you should train.”


3When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Buddha: “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! How well said this was by the Buddha: ‘Householders, you have supplied the mendicant Saṅgha with robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. But you should not be content with just this much. So you should train like this: “How can we, from time to time, enter and dwell in the rapture of seclusion?” That’s how you should train.’

At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion, five things aren’t present in him. The pain and sadness connected with sensual pleasures. The pleasure and happiness connected with sensual pleasures. The pain and sadness connected with the unskillful. The pleasure and happiness connected with the unskillful. The pain and sadness connected with the skillful. At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion, these five things aren’t present in him.”


4“Good, good, Sāriputta! At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion, five things aren’t present in him. The pain and sadness connected with sensual pleasures. The pleasure and happiness connected with sensual pleasures. The pain and sadness connected with the unskillful. The pleasure and happiness connected with the unskillful. The pain and sadness connected with the skillful. At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion, these five things aren’t present in him.”

1Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati pañcamattehi upāsakasatehi parivuto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca: 

2"Tumhe kho, gahapati, bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paccupaṭṭhitā cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārena. Na kho, gahapati, tāvatakeneva tuṭṭhi karaṇīyā:  ‘mayaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paccupaṭṭhitā cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārenā’ti. Tasmātiha, gahapati, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:  ‘Kinti mayaṁ kālena kālaṁ pavivekaṁ pītiṁ upasampajja vihareyyāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, gahapati, sikkhitabban"ti.


3Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:  "acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:  ‘tumhe kho, gahapati, bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paccupaṭṭhitā cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārena. Na kho, gahapati, tāvatakeneva tuṭṭhi karaṇīyā – mayaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paccupaṭṭhitā cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārenāti. Tasmātiha, gahapati, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ – kinti mayaṁ kālena kālaṁ pavivekaṁ pītiṁ upasampajja vihareyyāmāti. Evañhi vo, gahapati, sikkhitabban’ti.

Yasmiṁ, bhante, samaye ariyasāvako pavivekaṁ pītiṁ upasampajja viharati, pañcassa ṭhānāni tasmiṁ samaye na honti. Yampissa kāmūpasaṁhitaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa kāmūpasaṁhitaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa akusalūpasaṁhitaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa akusalūpasaṁhitaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yasmiṁ, bhante, samaye ariyasāvako pavivekaṁ pītiṁ upasampajja viharati, imānissa pañca ṭhānāni tasmiṁ samaye na hontī"ti.


4"Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Yasmiṁ, sāriputta, samaye ariyasāvako pavivekaṁ pītiṁ upasampajja viharati, pañcassa ṭhānāni tasmiṁ samaye na honti. Yampissa kāmūpasaṁhitaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa kāmūpasaṁhitaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa akusalūpasaṁhitaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa akusalūpasaṁhitaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yampissa kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye na hoti. Yasmiṁ, sāriputta, samaye ariyasāvako pavivekaṁ pītiṁ upasampajja viharati, imānissa pañca ṭhānāni tasmiṁ samaye na hontī"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.